


Oneshot Book Numero Uno

by maxclaims, yourbathroomwindow



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Adopted Toby Smith | Tubbo, Best Friends even, DadSchlatt AU, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Freeform, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, No shipping minors here, Other, Panic Attacks, Sleepy Bois Inc as Family, Tubbo and Tommy are JUST friends, glatt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:53:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28745043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maxclaims/pseuds/maxclaims, https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourbathroomwindow/pseuds/yourbathroomwindow
Summary: I have two one-shot books, this one is the pg13 one.Suggestions are open, please give ideas(also still trying to figure out ao3 formatting, there might be multiple mistakes)Also, these aren't beta read. I'm accepting volunteers to be my official Beta Reader lol.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 34





	1. Tubbo can't sleep peacefully

**Author's Note:**

> CW// Nightmares, OTC (Over The Counter) drugs, Nightmare fuel.
> 
> Unisom is supposed to make you sleep, not give you nightmares.  
> (Based on real life experience)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW// Nightmares, OTC (Over The Counter) drugs, Nightmare fuel.
> 
> Unisom is supposed to make you sleep, not give you nightmares.  
> (Based on real life experience)
> 
> (CREDIT TO MY BETA READER maxclaims ON AO3)

Tubbo laid in his bed, silence filling his room as his eyes darted to every corner. He wanted to close his eyes, let sleep take him peacefully, but there was a negative side effect to the sleeping pills he took: for some reason, they made him hallucinate in the dark. He couldn’t try to sleep without feeling like something was standing right in front of him, staring at him maliciously. Bursts of adrenaline would rush through him as his eyes ripped open, looking at what he could only describe as his own personal nightmare fuel. He always ended up seeing a monster in his dream, jumping up in his bed like he was about to visit his grave.

He knew these weren’t real. They were just bad side effects he had just so pleasantly been cursed with. Sometimes he would laugh at himself, trying to shake off the paranoia. He wanted to stop taking the pills, but he knew he would just end up staying awake until 2 am, staring at the ceiling and mind racing with thoughts. He either slept until 9 am or 3 pm, he could never truly get his sleep schedule together. He thought he could just deal with it, hoping it would stop eventually, but as each night progressed, his nightmares would get worse.

And that’s what happened. He had finally managed to fall asleep and eased into a dream. It was a short dream, but it was enough to panic him. He found himself standing in a black room, wondering where he was. Well, he knew  _ where  _ he was, but he didn’t recognize it. He couldn’t wrap his head around it.

He then looked to his right, and there it was: this distorted skeleton son of a bitch he saw before he even went to sleep. Except, here, it was more defined and detailed, he could see each and every bone with frail white skin clasping to it desperately. Its ribcage and spine were so small that some bones tore through its skin to look like extra spikes or claws for god knows what. Its horrible, long claw-like nails were bigger than its own fucking head. Its head, oh god, it had black, soulless eyes, but he still felt its glare on him with an unfulfilled need for gore. Its jaw reached far behind where its ears should have been, teeth looking like they could maul him with a single bite. Tubbo didn’t even dare look down to see the rest of it, it was too late anyway: the creature started to walk towards him, eyes already explaining what Tubbo was going to experience. Tubbo could only stand still, adrenaline and fear pumping through like it expected him to do something. He just stood there though, watching the creature dead in the eyes as it charged towards him. The second he felt claws pick at his skin, he snapped out of his trance.

Tubbo woke up in his bed, immediately sitting up as his heart pounded against his chest. His breathing was erratic as he looked around his room. He couldn’t sleep here tonight, not after that.

After calming himself down, he grabbed his favourite pillow and got out of bed. He knew there weren’t any monsters or anything out to get him but he still stayed quiet in fear that something would catch him when he least expected it. He tip-toed to his door and tried to open it slowly without it creaking, but it creaked anyway, making Tubbo’s hair stand on end. Another shot of adrenaline coursed through his blood. He took a moment to reassure himself.

“It’s fine, Tubbo, you’re fine. Everything is fine, you’re okay,” He mentally reminded himself as he walked over to Tommy’s room. Luckily, Tommy’s door was already open, so he quietly snuck in, careful where he stepped. “Jesus, Tommy, why can’t you clean your room once in a while?” He mumbled.

Tubbo walked to the farther side of the bed, quickly checking if Tommy was actually asleep. Tommy’s soft snoring gave him the green light, so Tubbo slowly moved the messy blankets and put his pillow down, sliding himself in next to his (half) brother.

“Hm… Tubbo?” Tommy groaned, slightly confused why someone was getting into his bed.

Tubbo froze. “Sorry, Tommy,” Tubbo apologized, taking the assumption that he accidentally woke him up, “I had a nightmare…”

“Was it the Unisom?” Tommy croaked, referencing Tubbo’s medication. His voice was noticeably hoarse with sleep.

“Yeah…” Tubbo sighed, sliding down into the blankets to get comfortable as he watched Tommy reposition himself.

“We should probably bring that up with Phil, Tubs. It seems like your nightmares are turning into night terrors.”

“I thought it would just pass, but tonight was just… so real. Can…” Tubbo paused, looking at Tommy with pleading eyes, “Could we maybe cuddle?”

Tommy let out a snort, “Sure, come here,” He wrapped an arm around Tubbo’s torso, letting him get comfortable in his new sleeping quarters. For extra measure, he scratched Tubbo’s head, since head pats always soothed the boy.

“Thanks, Tommy,” Tubbo whispered, letting his eyes close without needing to flick them open every five seconds. Tommy could only smile.

“Anytime, Big T.”

Tubbo let his mind slip away to a more comfortable place. The faint feeling of head pats slowed as Tommy started drifting back to sleep, arm lazily resting itself on Tubbo’s torso. Tubbo finally fell asleep peacefully, with no hallucinations or nightmares to twist his brain.

What would he do without his Tommy?


	2. It was all a -N̶i̶g̶h̶t̶m̶a̶r̶e̶- Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW CW// Nightmare/Night Terror, Dream SMP wars were all a dream, Mentions/Act of Suic*de.
> 
> Weird how dreams feel so real, right?
> 
> (CREDIT TO BETA READER maxclaims ON AO3 <333)

_ “Nobody cares anymore…” Tommy looked down at the hot lava bubbling underneath him, feeling the heat almost melt his skin, “If only I could tell Tubbo I’m sorry before I go.” _

_ Tommy let a tear fall down his cheek as he looked at the compass in his right hand, ‘Your Tubbo’ engraved by Wilbur himself. _

_ “What’s the point of living if I have no one to live for?” _

_ As Tommy looked back down at the lava, he only had one last thought: He was scared, for sure. What was it like to leave your physical body? But, he supposed, in the end, there’s no escaping death. _

_ And with that final conclusion, he put one foot out, letting his entire body drop into the lava pool. It wasn’t until he was inches away from the liquid that he truly regretted stepping off that netherrack ledge… _

Tommy’s head shot up, tears falling down as he looked around his bedroom. He choked back a sob as he hyperventilated. Did he die? It felt so real. His doorknob shook, making his head whip to his right. The door crept open, revealing his brother Wilbur.

“Tommy, are you okay?” Wilbur didn’t notice the crying at first but once he did, he immediately went to Tommy’s bedside. Wilbur wasn’t sure if Tommy wanted a hug, so he held his hand instead. “Tommy, what happened? Are you hurt?”

“I-” Tommy looked at Wilbur, noticing the lack of his ghostly particles from his dream. He was confused, but hugely relieved. Instead of trying to say anything, he wrapped his arms around the brunet. Wilbur simply rubbed circles on Tommy’s back, whispering in his ear.

“It’s okay, Tommy, you’re safe. You’re okay, it’s all okay-” He cut himself off when he heard two pairs of frantic footsteps stop at Tommy's doorway. Placing Tommy into his lap, he turned to the side to show both Techno and Phil what the problem was.

“Oh boy,” Philza muttered, walking over to sit by Wilbur’s side to take care of his boy. Techno stood in the doorway, watching his brother cry in their father’s arms, “Tommy, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t know I just had a nightmare that seemed too fucking real and Dream exiled me and Tubbo didn’t care about me and Wilbur was dead and you were gone and now nothing feels real-” Tommy sobbed, all in one rushed breath.

“Hey, hey, slow down Tommy. You’re okay now,” Philza held up Tommy’s head, forcing him to look at him, “Are you hurt?”

“M-My body feels burnt…” Tommy muttered, looking down at his arms to see if there were any possible heat scars. Philza brought a hand up to Tommy’s forehead, noticing his spike in temperature.

“Techno, could you get me a glass of cold water?” Philza said, looking up at his eldest son. Techno nodded and left the doorway to do his newfound task. Wilbur, being curious, also put a hand against Tommy’s forehead.

“Jesus, Tommy, that feels like you have a fever. Should I get some medicine, Phil?” Wilbur looked genuinely concerned, looking for any way to help Tommy. 

“Let’s just get a fan in here and some water, it could just be terrible night sweats,” Wilbur nodded and left the room to find a fan. Techno returned soon after with a glass of ice cold water, handing it to Phil, who handed it to Tommy. Tommy quickly downed the drink, maybe a little too quick. He started choking halfway, making Phil take the water from him and pat his back. Once Wilbur returned with the fan, he plugged it into the wall outlet, which helped cool the room and Tommy down. Philza noticed how Tommy was still hyperventilating, so he helped him try to calm down.

“Tommy, look at me, deep breaths please.” Philza started to emphasize his breathing pattern, hoping Tommy would catch on - and he did, despite his stuttered breaths here and there. After a minute, Tommy looked around him, realizing the wreck he made.

“I-I’m sorry, guys, I didn’t mean to cause a scene,” Tommy said, rubbing his teary, sleepy eyes. Wilbur rubbed his shoulder comfortingly.

“It’s okay, Tommy. We’re here for you,” Tommy smiled while looking at Wilbur through his hand. “Is it okay if I ask what happened?”

“I’m… not sure. So many things happened. Wilbur, you died, I was exiled from L’Manburg, Tubbo… where’s Tubbo?” Tommy looked at Philza, panic setting back in again.

“Tubbo is fine, Tommy. He’s in my bed,” Philza answered.

“Can I see him?” Philza nodded, helping Tommy stand up. Tommy walked out of his room, leaving the other three to follow him.

Tommy slowly opened the door, trying not to make it creak, but it creaked anyway, revealing a sleeping Tubbo bunched up in his blankets. Tommy made his way to the side where Tubbo was closest, putting a hand on his shoulder and shaking it softly.

“Tubbo!” Tommy whisper-yelled, trying to wake up Tubbo, who looked almost dead. Nonetheless, Tubbo woke up, fluttering his eyes open in confusion.

“Tommy?” His voice was hoarse and raspy as he shifted his weight onto his elbows. “What’s up?”

“Hi Tubbo, can I sleep in here with you?” Tommy gave a forced smile, trying to ignore the fact that he ruined Tubbo’s ‘beauty sleep’. Tubbo narrowed his eyes.

“Tommy, you’ve slept in here multiple times, why do you keep asking?”

“Sorry, sorry,” Tommy went to the other side of the bed and snuggled up behind Tubbo, who helped Tommy with the uneven blankets, “I just… had a nightmare.”

“Oh,” Tubbo’s annoyed mood altered, turning to the other side to face Tommy, “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“Sort of, it felt too real. You were President of L’Manburg and you exiled me, and then Dream was saying stuff about how you don’t care about me anymore and then suddenly I was standing over a lava pool and…” Tommy paused, he could still feel the heat tamper with his skin. He shivered, “I jumped off, purposely killing myself.”

Tubbo stayed silent for a moment, not wanting to interrupt Tommy. He put a hand on Tommy’s head, softly playing with his hair.

“Would you ever do that, Tubbo? If you ever became President after Wilbur?” Tubbo looked back up at Tommy, appalled by the question.

“Of course not! I would never, ever banish you from my side. You’re important to me Tommy, don’t ever forget that,” Tommy smiled, putting his hand on Tubbo’s. Philza watched them from the corner of the doorway peacefully with Techno and Wilbur.

“How long do you think the night terrors are going to last?” Wilbur whispered.

“I’m not sure, Wilbur. It seemed like he forgets them in the morning, but it’s making him restless and anxious. I’ll see if I can get someone to help him, maybe Dream can do something about it,” Philza sighed. Stressing over four sons can take years off you for sure, but he can only take it one thing at a time.

Tubbo turned around and let Tommy spoon him, whispering to each other until sleep overcame them. Tommy closed his eyes as he rested against Tubbo’s shoulders, reminding himself how loved he is.

“You’re important to me, Tommy, don’t ever forget that.”

Tommy smiled softly, letting sleep overcome his consciousness. Slow, steady breaths followed as they cuddled in sweet silence.


	3. Under L'manburg Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW// DadSchlatt/Glatt, Tubbo mourns after exiling Tommy, Glatt reminisces over baby Tubs.
> 
> "And all this time I thought you hated me."

Silence, the sweet silence of humanity. The loving presence of nature embraced Tubbo as he strode over to the L’Mantree. Such beautiful mystery and knowledge behind that tree, what stories it could tell, leaves such a glorious green as they shone under the sun. Tubbo crossed his legs when he sat down just above its beautiful roots, leaning back against its surprisingly soft trunk. He sighed. A moment passed, and he took a deep, relaxing breath, before letting out a sob.

Tears started running down his cheeks. After the first fell, he couldn’t stop the rest. Guilt suffocated him like a heavy blanket. It had only been two days after Tommy’s exilement and Tubbo was already mentally destroyed. He cupped his hands over his face, muffling his cries ever so slightly.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” He rambled in his head, only a few words coming out subconsciously, “It was supposed to be us against the world, I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry, please forgive me, Tommy, please…”

“T… Tubbo?”

Tubbo lifted his head slowly, turning to his left to see the ex-president of L’Manburg, his biological father. Tubbo frowned more, he could hardly have a handful of positive memories between him and the man- or, now ghost, really.

“What the hell do you want, Schlatt?” He mumbled. He never remembered calling Schlatt ‘dad’, he never earned the title anyway. He abandoned him, he was never his father in the first place. He felt another tear fall, quickly rubbing it away with his hand.

“I… I don’t know. I heard you sobbing a few feet away and wanted to know what’s up,” Tubbo could hear the concern in his voice as he fumbled to find his words. It made his heart warm up somewhat.

“Oh wow, it takes you to be bed- dead to finally care about my tears?” He almost let out a cuss, he hated tripping over his words, especially when he tried to let out a venom-filled line. Schlatt ignored the slip up, frowning and silent. He doesn’t remember much, hardly anything really. 

“Mind if I take a seat?” Schlatt asked, watching Tubbo think about it for a moment, then the brunet gave a small nod, scooting an inch or two as Schlatt hovered down to the ground. Both stayed silent, the only sound being Tubbo’s sniffles and the branches dancing above them. Schlatt let out a sigh, wondering what he should say first.

“Wilbur’s right, about not remembering the negative things after you die,” He stated, pausing for a moment to gather more words. “As far as I remember, Tubbo, you were actually the light of my life… weird, right?”

Tubbo finally faced the ram hybrid, a mix of emotions whirled in his head, confusion being the most prominent. He watched Schlatt stare at the light green grass, wondering what he would say or do next.

“I don’t remember a lot of things, sadly. I guess that shows how much of the ‘bad’ there was. But… I think the best thing I remember is you in my arms…” A soft smile made its way to his face, lightly touching the grass as he remembered little baby Tubbo babble and giggle. “You were so pure, so filled with life. I would give anything up for you. Watching you day by day , giggle and laugh with such innocence. You were a little angel, your heart was always in the right place.”

Tubbo had tears starting to well up in his eyes again, wondering if Schlatt really felt that way. He had to be, Schlatt would never lie about this.

“Though, I can only assume it was too much for me. With no one else to help raise you, it piled up on me. That’s where my memory sort of goes blank… Philza says he found you in a box, and with my history of a drinking problem, I can see why you resent me so much. Along with my more recent history, L’Manburg and shit, I definitely can’t blame you for not liking me…”

Schlatt stopped talking again, a silence falling between them as Tubbo simply listened.

“I... you remember that bee plush that was given to you on your, uh, 13th birthday, I believe?” Schlatt finally looked at Tubbo as the kid gave a small nod. “Yeah, I remember hearing you liked bees from Philza, so I asked him to give it to you anonymously. You seemed... so happy when you got it. God, he raised you so well, nothing I could’ve ever done.”

A tear slipped down Tubbo’s cheek once more with another sniffle. All this time, he thought it was from Philza despite him denying the fact. He thought he was trying to be modest. Another tear fell and his face burned slightly.

“I’m so sorry, Tubbo, I wish I had the strength back then to raise you. I probably  _ did  _ have the strength... but I doubted myself. Worry and shame made me think incorrectly. I hope you can forgive me someday, kid, I never meant to hurt you the way I did,” A tear slid down the man’s cheek, making him chuckle. “Fuck, now you’ve got me crying.”

Tubbo moved himself to hug Schlatt, making him instinctively freeze. A soft sob came from the younger ram hybrid as he buried his face into his father’s shoulder.

“And all this time I thought you hated me,” He giggled, his words muffled by the man’s blue sweater. Schlatt shook his head, but understood why the boy thought such a thing. He wrapped his arms around him.

“No, not at all...”

“Why didn’t you visit me though? I have almost no memory of you, I thought I was abandoned!” Schlatt’s heart ached, even then he knew he should have said something to Tubbo.

“Tubbo... guilt twists your mind in so many ways...” Schlatt pat Tubbo on his head, noticing the small horn stumps forming on the sides of his head. He smiled, proud that his son had received his ram hybrid genes.

“Guilt. Tell me about it...” Tubbo frowned, remembering the painful feeling of exiling Tommy, his own best friend, brother even. He let out a few sniffles, his lungs ached from the constant hyperventilating. “Schlatt... what would you do?”

“Huh?”

“You heard how I exiled Tommy, right?”

“Sort of, I thought that was just a rumor though. Did you really?” Tubbo rubbed his eyes, salty tears dripping from them like a leaking faucet.

“I feel so bad, Schlatt. I hate being president, it’s either my country or my family. I can’t ever have both. I wish I could take it back, I miss Tommy so much...” Tubbo rambled, sniffles breaking his sentence every now and then. Schlatt could only rub his shoulder, trying to comfort the boy.

“Tubbo, you can’t change what you did, but you can change the future. You did your best, and that’s all you need to do,” Tubbo felt a weight lift off his shoulders, he didn’t know that was something he needed to truly hear. He hugged Schlatt tighter, muttering an ‘okay’ before relaxing his muscles. Schlatt continued to rub Tubbo on his back and on his head. He felt Tubbo’s breathing start to slow, the comforting embrace was soothing to the boy. His eyes fluttered closed, listening to the soft sound of the branches move with the wind. Everything was so peaceful, he couldn’t help but slip into a sweet, restful sleep.

Schlatt didn’t dare to move, listening to the soft breathing against his dead soul was oddly nice. Watching the sunset start to fall, he smiled as he started to feel relieved. He had finally found closure.

All it took was for him to die.


	4. Welcome Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW// Very short Oneshot, Panic attack, Inspired Fanfic.
> 
> Inspired by small animatic on Youtube by "Monster Bits" - "Ranboo finds the discs [Dream SMP Animatic] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFBvVbo-NuE)
> 
> I give all credit to them for the idea/headcanon.

Ranboo stared at the chest in front of him, his hands shaking. He already knew what was in the chest, why should he open it? He didn’t want to believe it though, he had to make sure he was right. Conflict grew between himself, daring to either leave it alone or open it.    
  
“No, no, no.” He spoke out loud, his voice just as shaky as his hands. He reached his hands out, lightly gripping the top of the chest to hear it creak open.    
And there they were, the two infamous discs that started this entire wildfire throughout the server, throughout Ranboo’s livelihood. His mind started to panic, he didn’t know exactly why, but he didn’t want to think about that right now. He knew who was behind the discs and he sure as hell didn’t want to meet him face to face. His whole body entered a panic state; hyperventilating, weak knees, blurry vision. He couldn’t take it anymore, he had to leave. He had to get out of here.    
  
Without a second thought, he thought of himself in the End. Feeling his body phase through reality, tears started forming in his eyes. It didn’t really hurt to teleport, but it did cause a slight discomfort. The feeling of your atoms shifting from one place to another was. . . strange, to say the least. Ranboo didn’t enjoy it, though there wasn’t much of a choice in this situation. He had to get out of there and go to his safe space, far from the Dream SMP.    
  
Soon enough, he felt the aura around him change. What once was a dusky room was now a spacy, oxygen altered area. Ranboo stumbled to the ground, feeling the gritty endstone beneath his hands. Despite the chorus induced air, he felt like his lungs finally started to clear. Yet, he couldn’t stop the tears from falling as his lungs spasmed. He felt so scared, adrenaline, fear, and a bit of calm pumped through him. His ears even started to ring from his experience, not really sure if it was the teleporting or the panic attack he was experiencing. Despite that, he heard the sound of an enderman teleport next to him, whispering a distorted “hello”.    
Ranboo didn’t respond, just looking up at the creature with glazed eyes. The Enderman didn’t react in an aggressive manner, He knew who Ranboo was. The Enderman had also noticed the kid’s distressed state, bending down to his side to aid comfort. Ranboo gladly climbed into the creature’s arms, his black, rough exterior somehow comforting to the hybrid’s human skin. Ranboo could tell he knew the Enderman. They all looked the same to humans, but Ranboo always paid attention to their actions, tone, eyes, anything that could differentiate them from one another. And growing up with being part Enderman, you learn to easily pick apart details.    
  
  


Ranboo felt his breathing calm down, the faint sound of Enderman particles being played in the background made a pleasant white noise. The only human sound being Ranboo’s sniffles, which went unheard except to the Enderman looking down at him. The Enderman’s seemingly monster claws were put on Ranboo’s head, petting is disheveled black and white hair. Then, an Enderman was heard spawning next to the two.    
  
~~**_“Hello.”_** ~~   
  
Ranboo looked over his shoulder to see them, looking for distinct features in the creature. Ranboo knew this Enderman as well, so he let himself relax. He could hear the Enderman walk towards them, soft steps on the end stone told him so. He felt another ‘hand’ on Ranboo’s shoulder, muttering another greeting. But both know that’s not what he truly said. Ranboo smiled, letting the words live in his head rent free. It had been a while since he visited, he normally would go to his panic room. Maybe he should come home more often. He watched the Enderman walk off behind an obsidian pillar, hearing the creature’s voice replay once more for comfort.    
  
  
~~**_“Welcome Home.”_ ** ~~   



	5. The Voices™

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW// Voices in ones head, Intrusive thoughts. 
> 
> Techno's voices get the best of him.  
> (Story credit to artist @impcraig on instagram, comic was posted Jan. 10, 2020)   
> (THANK YOU BETA READER maxclaims ON AO3 <333)

_ ‘Blood blood blood blood blood blood’ _

_ ‘Blood for the blood god’ _

_ ‘Kill him kill him kill him’ _

_ ‘Cause some war, will ya?’ _

_ ‘We need bloodshed, God’ _

The voices rang through his head like a soft bell, always in the back of his mind. It was like a hand on his shoulder that never left, he grew accustomed to the feeling more with each day. Sometimes the hand wouldn’t be so friendly, per se. It’s grip would get harder, digging its nails into his skin. It knows he ignores it, so it digs deeper. Soon enough, he would have to listen to it for it to let go.

\---

Techno watched Tommy dance around with a wooden sword, frolicking on the hardwood floor as he pretended to be fighting some imaginary monster. He waved the sword around, performing lazy sword strikes into the air, letting out quiet, wholesome ‘hi-yah’s. To Tommy, he thought he was the baddest bitch there.

Techno continued to take care of the wooden swords while Wilbur strummed his guitar a few feet away. The melodies coated the room ever so softly that Techno could hardly notice the mumbles of his… ‘friends’.

Now that he accidentally acknowledged their presence, he quickly tried to distract himself. It was annoying, really. Once they had a taste of his ‘affection’ they grew louder, making the real world’s noise tune out. Techno, being young and slightly inexperienced, his head began to pound ever so slightly. He rubbed his temple as he leaned over in his seat. He spent more time telling himself to ignore them than actually ignoring them, and that was his first mistake. 

_ ‘Blood for the blood god, blood for the blood god, blood for the blood god, blood for the blood god’ _

_ ‘Blood, gore, violence, arson, murder, bloodshed-’ _

_ ‘Do something, God. Cause bloodshed, we want bloodshed. Murder. War.’ _

Techno shook his head, furrowing his eyebrows together. He hated that he had to remind himself that they were wrong. His head hung heavy in his hands, every second it felt like another pound of metal was added to the weight. He began to fidget, his leg started bouncing in an attempt to relieve the adrenaline rush.

The sounds of sweet guitar strums faded as the number of voices seemed to double. He was now tearing his hair apart, the mix of panic and temptation was unbearable. God, if only he could-

“T-Techno?”

_ ‘ _ **_Tommy_ ** _.’ _

Techno shot his head up, his hands almost crushing the boy’s skull. He could almost hear the boy yell, did he yell? The whole world seemed to stop, time slowing to almost nothing. He looked down at Tommy and his head ached with voices as they slowly started to chant in unison.

_ ‘ _ **_Blood blood blood blood blood blood blood_ ** _ ’ _

That’s all they want. If Techno finally gives it to them, would they finally go away? Would they leave him alone? His and their morals started to mix like black and white paint. Everything was blurred, why was he fighting back again? Why not just give them what they want,  _ what they need _ . Maybe just this once…

“Techno.”

That… that didn’t sound like them. Techno turned his head, now facing Phil. Fear shot through him as the voices slowly died down.

“Let him go.”

_ ‘You messed up...’ _

_ ‘Madza lol’ _

_ ‘Fucking prick.’ _

Techno used all the strength he had to listen and let go of Tommy’s head. Fear and adrenaline pulsed through his blood watching the world come back to life. His vision cleared but his ears still rang slightly. That didn’t stop him from hearing what Philza said next, though.

“Come with me, Techno, I just want to talk.”

Techno felt himself physically shrink. If he weren’t fully back to reality now, he would have no clue where he was. Techno slowly stood from the floor, watching Phil watch him. The blond was smiling down at him, but nothing about it spoke kindness. Techno followed him down the hall to another room, his own thoughts bombarded with the eerie creaking floorboards.

“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so, so, so sorry, please, Phil, I-”

“Shush.”

Techno bit back his apology, his breathing shaky. His eyes welled with tears, the faint sound of Tommy’s voice lingered in his mind. Did he really do that to him? His mind was filled with questions, he didn’t even notice he stopped walking once he was in the room. The faint feeling of his hair being tugged in Philza’s hand made him want to cry. Was he going to cut his hair? Oh God-

“Techno, be honest with me. What happened?”

His words repeated in Techno’s mind like a broken record, the voices started twisting his words like it was some kind of game.

_ ‘Blood, blood, blood, blood’ _

_ ‘Pay him back.’ _

_ ‘He’s gonna rip your hair out’ _

_ ‘It’s your fault, he’s blaming you.’ _

“They…” Techno gulped, would Phil even understand? He can’t lie to Phil though, the truth has to come out eventually, “They pressured me into this.”

“Who, Will and Tommy?” Phil cocked his head as he ran his fingers through Techno’s pink hair, “Oh, they just like to mess around a lot.”

“No…” He paused, his mind forcing him to hear what they all had to say to him. Malice, pity, greed, demand, they all begged, all with one thing in common, which truly scared Techno, “The Voices did.”

Techno’s voice cracked, he was so close to falling apart. So much emotion -  _ too much _ emotion, really. His head was kept spinning with questions, all he wished Phil could answer for him.

He hurt Tommy, what if he hurt him again? What if he killed him? Phil would never forgive him. He should run away, he’s dangerous, he shouldn’t be around them. Why do they care?

“The voices?” Techno heard, the soothing hair brushing seemed to fade. 

Techno slowly nodded, letting Philza know he was serious. He stayed staring at the floor though, allowing a tear to fall down his cheek. A moment of silence settled between them, Phil continued combing Techno’s pink, soft hair with his fingers. Techno let out a shaky exhale, his eyes closing slightly.

“Mind telling me what they said?”

Techno grabbed the hem of his sleeve, twirling the cloth between his fingers tightly. Should he tell Philza what they said? Lying to him isn’t the greatest idea.

“They want… blood,” Techno’s voice went quiet with the last word, he prayed Phil didn’t think that’s what Techno himself wanted. If anything, he wanted peace. He had to say something, he couldn’t have Philza thinking he was a bloodthirsty monster. “Phil, I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt Tommy-”

“I know you didn’t mean to, Techno. I would never think you would do it on purpose,” Techno turned to Philza, who could see in his eyes how relieved he was to hear that. Phil placed a hand on the rosette’s face, wiping a tear before it spilled. “I do want you to make a promise to me, though.”

“Of course.”

“Technoblade, I want you to ignore them. I don’t doubt you’ve already tried that, but I’m being serious. One day I won’t be able to help you when you need me. You’ll have to control them someday, don’t let their words get to you. Please promise you’ll work on it?”

Techno leaned his head into Phil’s hand, listening to the agreement he was about to make. Doubt flooded his mind. Could he even follow through with that? “What if I don’t?”

“I know you won’t, Techno.”

Techno looked off to the side, biting his tongue. He slowly nodded and looked back to his father figure. “Okay… I promise.”

Philza followed behind Techno as they walked back down the hall. Tommy’s faint laugh could be heard from the room. Techno’s heart panged with guilt, he really didn’t want to go back in there. He stopped walking right when he got to the doorframe, clutching his sleeve with his right hand. A hand was placed on his shoulder as Phil looked down at him.

“It’s okay, Techno. He’ll forgive you.”

Techno smiled, hoping Phil was right. He peeked out around the corner to see Wilbur playing sword-fight with Tommy. Tommy was too young to understand how to use a sword, he just liked copying his brothers.

Does Tommy even consider him as a brother?

Techno shuffled towards the boys, fidgeting with his sleeve still. He noticed the playful aura between them faltered once he got close, Wilbur defensively standing in front of Tommy.

“I’m, uh… I’m sorry, Tommy. I didn’t mean to hurt you…” He apologized, hoping they would accept it. It got quiet for a moment and anxiety started to build in his chest. Tommy suddenly lunged at him, wrapping his arms around the taller for a hug.

“It’s okay!” Tommy cheered, a wide smile plastered on his face.

“Wh-”

“It’s okay, Techno, he’s just being clingy,” Wilbur smiled too while Tommy continued to hug Techno. The rosette awkwardly tried to hug back, but his arms were caged by Tommy, so he just stood there, smiling nervously.

“Okay, Tommy. You can stop hugging him now,” Phil commented, watching Tommy let go with a huff. His disappointed demeanor quickly turned to joy.

“Techno, Techno, Techno, look at this cool sword thing Wilbur taught me,” Tommy had grabbed Techno’s hand and dragged him away from Wilbur and Phil, happily showing a sword technique usually seen in fencing. Techno smiled, encouraging Tommy while he watched.

“Wow Tommy, you’re so tough,” He held back a laugh, but Tommy didn’t seem to notice.

“Of course I am, someone has to be the man of the family,” Tommy said, smiling so pridefully. Techno covered his mouth to hide another snicker.

“Tommy, I don’t think-”

“Of course, Tommy, how could you ever protect us?” Philza fed into his little ego, watching the child bounce with happiness. Wilbur, too, started to giggle. 

"You know what men need though, Tommy?” Philza asked, watching Tommy stop his sword swinging and think.

“Women?”

“No- They need dinner. Why don’t you boys wash up before you help me cook?”

Tommy yelled out an “okay!” before running off to the nearest sink. Wilbur jogged behind him to make sure the faucet didn’t break again. Phil followed behind Techno, watching him smile. Techno's pace came to a slow stop, only peering over the hallway wall to look at Wilbur and Tommy. Philza put a hand on his shoulder, making Techno look up.

“It will be okay, Techno,” Philza said, his tone so soft and comforting. Techno put his hand on Phil’s, nodding slightly.

“I believe you.”


End file.
